How many times have you pitched clients this past month, only to receive crickets in your email or LinkedIn inbox? Or worse, you get a polite “no thank you, we’re not interested,” or “this doesn’t fit our needs at this time.”
When you’re starting out as a freelance professional, it can make you feel uneasy and causes you to question if you’re on the right career path. Is starting your own business the right thing for you to do after all? Is making money from your skills and expertise just a far-fetched dream?
The problem is, you’re likely looking at pitching the wrong way. When we think of pitching, we naturally think about cold outreach emails and LinkedIn InMails that we send to decision-makers (you’ve probably received a good number of those too, and thought, these offers are irrelevant to me).
But the process of selling yourself to a client begins way before the relationship is formally established via direct outreach. You land high-paying partnerships, business contacts, clients, and opportunities, through strengthening your online presence. Your digital footprint–your website, social media accounts, LinkedIn profile and services offering, freelance profiles on marketplaces like Upwork, and places where you’ve contributed value online–is your pitch.
This is what makes decision-makers beg to work with you, because they see the value in what you bring to the table within your respective industry.
This same principle applies even if you’re not a freelance professional. If you’re a job-seeker and want to attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers so you can be headhunted, apply these steps to your situation.
1. Online Footprint
So, it follows that the first essential element of a pitch that attracts high-paying career and business opportunities, is online presence.
Ask yourself these questions so you can evaluate where you stand right now and what your digital footprint says about you:
- Can I easily be located on Google if someone types in my name or keywords relevant to my field?
- Do I have a strong, unified, consistent personal brand and messaging across all my channels?
- Do I have a clear value statement and mission that is stated across these channels?
- Have I established credibility and authority markers, like citations and features in industry publications and other media such as podcasts?
- What tangible value can I bring which would be a valid reason for a client, potential partner, or even an employer, to want to work with me?
2. Portfolio
Before pitching anyone directly, ensure you have proof of expertise first, because this is naturally the first question that will come to mind when they’re looking to understand “What’s in it for me?”
You do this through building a portfolio. This can be a compilation of mock projects, real projects you’ve done pro bono, or actual paid work, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the decision-maker you’re pitching to can see your skills and ideas in action and view the results.
3. Brevity
Keep it concise and to the point. Decision-makers don’t have time to waste, and making your message long-winded decreases the likelihood of them even bothering to read it. Don’t share your whole life story or reel a full-length list of qualifications, but include just enough of the most critical information to keep them hooked and to encourage them to explore further.
4. Shared Vision
When you’re pursuing a partnership, you need to be totally confident that there is something in it for them, just as much as there’s something in it for you. Having a shared vision (or shared target audience if it’s a partnership you’re after) ensures alignment and allows you to resonate with the decision-maker you’re pitching to.
In fact, they might even decide to approach you without you needing to pitch them.
5. Clear Next Steps/CTA
A pitch isn’t complete without a call to action. Do you want to book a meeting to discuss next steps? Need to know their availability for the next few weeks? Want further information to a burning question?
In most cases the CTA is a scheduled meeting, so ensure that you’re prepared with a Calendly link, or know what slots you’re available, so you’re ready when they respond. This helps to guide the conversation as well.
6. Brag Your Credibility
If you won an award or honor, created viral content, appeared on a podcast, have record numbers of engagement and followers on your social media, or even a solid email list–use this to help anchor your pitch. Don’t be shy. Display your accolades and tie them in to ensure they are relevant and demonstrate clear value.
7. Come With Suggestions
Make your decision-maker’s life a little easier by coming armed with suggestions and recommendations, instead of a vague, “let’s collaborate.”
For example, if pitching yourself to a client as a freelance writer, you could suggest some sample headlines or titles that you intend to produce for them. For a marketing partnership, you might propose some content strategies that you could work on from your side.
This is not the time to play small. If you’re serious about securing high-paying clients, deals, and partnerships for your own career as well as for your freelance business, ensure you have all seven of these ingredients in place and you’ll receive more “yeses” than ghosting and “no’s.”
All seven of these steps I applied to my own career, and these led me to land speaking engagements, clients, and partnerships worth several thousand dollars in revenue, all of them 100% online. I’ve even been headhunted while still employed, several times, because my brand, value, and online visibility and credibility is clear.
Of course, it’s not overnight success and you’ll need to be patient, but over time you will open more doors for your career and business growth, following this formula, than you ever imagined was possible.
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